Musician’s hand injured after UA supervisor wrestles away antique violin

Yeah like, how does it devolve to this?

"These are the conditions for you to board the plane. If you don't comply, you cannot board the plane. If you attempt to force your way onto the plane, the police will remove and arrest you."

At no point is "forcefully taking the passenger's luggage" a reasonable thing to be doing, nor necessary.

I wonder what happens if you make real time music on your computer and they want to classify it as a computer and not an instrument?

Anything bigger than a guitar, and you're likely buying a seat: https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-department-t... (fifth paragraph). In the case of a violin, it will easily fit in an overhead bin or under the seat. Or at least I assume so, based on my experience with a mandolin which is bigger than a violin (not good enough on fiddle to ever need to travel with it). Based on the singular violin case I own, unless you have one of the bomb-proof cases I reference below, it should easily fit in a bin lengthwise (same orientation as a bag), or under a seat with nothing sticking out.

That said, reports seem to miss the part where she bought the discount ticket that doesn't allow for carry-on luggage. Now, the events that transpired after this was discussed at the gate were inexcusable. There's no call for that, and were I in that situation I'd probably be awaiting arraignment for popping a gate agent in mouth. On the other hand, if you have an instrument described to be "worth more than her car", don't cheap out on your ticket, and sure as hell don't buy a ticket that disallows carry-ons, hoping they'll make an exception when you get there. Get the pre-boarding or whatever needed to ensure you're not last on the plane.

Personally, I pay a little extra on the ticket such that I'm not in the last group to board. I use a case with backpack straps because I theorize it looks less like an instrument, and more like I'm just some bro with his pack. Most of the time I carry a cheaper instrument ($500 or less) that's a long way from being worth what my car is, so if it goes in the hold, I won't be too upset. And if I bring the nice instrument that's worth several thousands of dollars, it rides in an $800 case just in case I'm force to check it (if it gets hurt in that case, it's because a bomb went off in the cargo hold). All that being said, I've always just walked on with the instrument and no one so much as bats an eye.